Identifying and Implementing Funding Alternatives for Watershed and Stormwater Management Programs

Many developing communities have prepared watershed management plans and are looking for ways to meet stormwater regulatory requirements through the use of sustainable practices that also allow them to protect the environment and reduce their ecological footprint. However, while solutions to address watershed and stormwater problems are rather clear, paying for those solutions is proving to be a little murky. This paper describes the watershed needs and regulatory requirements that are making the implementation of funding alternatives critical. A summary of several funding alternatives (e.g., grants, bonds, fees, taxes, private incentives, and surcharges) available to local governments is provided as well as summaries of benefits, concerns, applicability, and implementation issues for some of the most common funding alternatives. The paper also presents the implementation steps (e.g., feasibility studies, outreach strategy, and implementation strategy) typically used for the development of a stormwater utility—a dedicated funding source. In addition, this paper presents lessons learned on implementation of funding alternatives based on case studies.